Blind Loyalty
by Noxy88
Summary: The summer before Harry's fifth year, Dumbledore reveals to Harry the secret of the prophecy and his fate to battle the Dark Lord. Now, entering into his fifth year, how will Harry handle his new fate, Umbridge, and the rest of the school braying for his blood? Will Harry find comfort in the most unlikely of places?
1. Chapter 1

**Hey there. So, I had this story posted earlier (like I started it two years ago, got two chapters in and had incredible writers' block). But, I've decided to revamp it and start writing again. So, I deleted the earlier copy, made some changes and am putting this back up.**

**Some things to note: this whole concept is based off an idea one of my friends had a long time ago. She always said that it was impossible to love someone without hating them. I tend to disagree, but it makes for an interesting prompt and challenge. That being said, Harry and Hannah (as that is the main pairing) will not happen immediately. Sorry.**

**Also, there will be no bashing in this story, or at least no intentional bashing. There are characters who will not be good (Malfoy, Voldemort, etc.) but, I'm not going to make them stupid idiots and bash them the whole story.**

**Enough of me talking, go enjoy the first chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter**

* * *

"Oomphf!"

A sharp pain erupted in Harry's posterior as he hit the hard castle floor; his glasses flew to the floor, clattering as they hit. He scrambled to grab them quickly to see what, or who, had knocked him down. When he could see, he noticed he was at the business end of a reddish wand with white marbling. Looking up the slender arm, Harry eventually came to the harsh blue eyes of Hannah Abbott.

"_Potter_," she spat out the name as if it were a curse, "do you enjoy bullying Hufflepuffs or something? First you take our glory in the tournament last year, then you kill Cedric, now you're resorting to pushing around girls? How low can you get?" And then the girl was storming off, leaving Harry still on the floor.

He sighed, thinking about how his life had slowly been flushed down the drain. He always liked to think that he was on at least decent terms with everyone in the school aside from Slytherins, but that all changed last year with the Triwizard Tournament. He had been selected to be the fourth champion along with Cedric Diggory, Fleur Delacour, and Viktor Krum. The school turned against him, especially the Hufflepuffs.

Then, during the last event, Voldemort had returned, causing the death of Cedric. Of course, no one believed Harry aside from Cedric's parents, Dumbledore, Ron, and Hermione. Harry was lucky to avoid being thrown into a lawsuit for killing Cedric. The Hufflepuffs, however, diligently refused to believe Harry's innocence. Some, like Hannah, were quite vocal of their disbelief and hatred of Harry.

Summer had only made things worse. The Dursleys might have left Harry alone most of the summer, but he had little to no correspondence with Ron or Hermione until the last few weeks of summer. Those weeks, despite being with the Weasleys, Sirius, and his new friends from the vigilante group known as the Order of the Phoenix, were the worst of the summer. Dumbledore had decided to completely open up to Harry about Voldemort.

That included the prophecy foretelling his imminent doom and the suspected horcruxes Voldemort made. The combination made for a gloomy and sulking Harry who would only put on a fake mask of happiness whenever his friends or Sirius was around.

Hogwarts brought no relief for Harry as it normally did. He had learned, much to his dismay, that Dolores Umbridge had taken the supposedly cursed position of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. Harry had the misfortune of meeting the woman – if she could even be called that – when Dumbledore had taken to retrieve the prophecy. The toad-like woman had it out for Harry since the day at the Ministry.

It was just his luck that he would still have to deal with the majority of the school hating him, some being aggressive even. Harry figured the Daily Prophet printing crap about himself and Dumbledore didn't help either.

Harry heaved himself off the ground, making sure to grab his books before continuing towards the class he dreaded the most this year: Defense Against the Dark Arts. Luckily, his peers still stood outside the locked classroom, so he wasn't late.

"What kept you?" Ron whispered under his breath as Harry joined him and Hermione.

"Run-in with a 'puff. Hannah can be mean when she wants."

"Again?" Harry could only nod at Hermione's question before Professor Umbridge, dressed in sickly pink clothing, opened the door to her classroom.

"Keep your wands away," the professor said in an overly cheery voice as the students took their seats, "I have taken the time to look into your past education for this subject and I have found that you are all horribly under prepared for not only your O.W.L.'s but also for life outside of Hogwarts. I have been asked by the Minister himself to amend that lack of proper education. I believe that if we work together, you shall be sufficiently prepared to sit your O.W.L.'s by the end of the year. Now, take out your copies of Defensive Magical Theory and read the first chapter."

Harry was mildly surprised when it was Ron who raised his hand to speak. When called on, he said, "When will be learning how to defend ourselves? I mean, this is just a book on theory." Harry was sufficiently more surprised after Ron spoke than before.

"We will not be casting any spells in this classroom, Mr. Weasley. In fact, I do not see why you would need to learn how to defend yourself. There is nothing you need to fear here, is there?"

Harry's jaw twitched as he refrained from speaking up. Much like with her impromptu speech the prior night at the feast, Umbridge was clearly daring anyone to challenge her. Harry had a funny feeling that the dare was focused more towards himself than anyone else.

"What about the death eaters that escaped from Azkaban?" a cold voice spoke up. The voice belonged to Daphne Greengrass, a Slytherin. The girl was somewhat of a loner in the house of snakes, only befriending Tracey Davis, a rare Slytherin half-blood.

"They will be effectively dealt with by the aurors. They will no longer be a threat once the school year is over. Now, if you would, I do believe I gave an assignment." No one else dared to speak up as it was very clear that Umbridge was nearing the end of her patience.

* * *

"How was your first day of class, Harry?" the wizened wizard asked from his elaborate seat behind a large oaken desk filled with shiny silver gadgets.

"It was good, sir. Though Professor Umbridge has a different way of teaching. She is under the impression that theory shall be sufficient for our O.W.L.'s this year."

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled at the response. "Yes, I do remember us discussing that potentiality. Is there anything else you've noticed?"

"I think she wants someone to speak out against her. Ron managed to get away with it as he did ask a legitimate question. Daphne Greengrass also managed to speak out as her concern was also quite real, but had anyone else spoken up against her teaching style, the professor would have done something."

The old man nodded, "Yes, she will certainly enforce her rule. I would go even farther to say that she will go out of her way to discriminate against you because of our known friendship. Because of this, this must be our last meeting, Harry. If your esteemed professor believes we are in cohorts with each other, things will get quite difficult for us both. You will, however, begin your weekly detentions will Professor Snape this Saturday, I believe this week he has planned to have a long overdue discussion with you. He will also deliver any books or findings I have to you throughout the year. I also believe that your head of house and your Charms professor would like to speak to you when you have time for such a conversation."

"I will make the time as soon as I can."

"Good. Now, do you remember our discussion this summer about your classes? You have been given a privilege, Harry, not having to attend your electives. I still expect you to use that time for study, not for fun."

"I remember, Professor, I promise I will put my time to good use. Is that all?" Harry asked respectfully.

"Yes, that will be all. You are free to – actually, I have forgotten something. My age must be catching up with me. Take this book," the Headmaster said, handing Harry a book from a drawer in his large desk. The leather cover of the book was bare and plain with no writing or designs. Harry sent a questioning look at the white-haired man. "This book, Harry, is about wand lore. A wand may choose a wizard, but a wizard may create a wand to choose him. I know you will be busy this year with your schooling, catching up on the material in Ancient Runes, and quidditch, but you may enjoy this book. An extra wand never hurt a wizard either. Have a good rest of the night Harry."

Harry recognized his dismissal and departed from the room.

* * *

"Well, what did he want?"

"Ron! Give him a chance to breathe! He just walked in."

Harry chuckled at his two friends. "He wanted to know what I thought about defense this year. Nothing important," he said, placing his bag on the floor next to his feet as he sat in a chair near his companions. He hated not telling the two of them more of the truth, but he and Dumbledore had decided during the summer to keep certain things secret.

"And what did you say?" Hermione inquired.

"What do you think I said? Umbridge refuses to teach us spells despite the fact that we have our O.W.L.'s this year. He can't do anything about it though. Anyone can see that she's got the Ministry behind her. And I personally would rather see Dumbledore here with Umbridge than neither of them here."

Hermione nodded and took a deep breath. "Okay, well now we need to start on that essay she gave us. If we get it done now, then we will have time to edit it later." There was a loud groan and bang as Ron slammed a book into his face. Harry couldn't hold back his laughter.

* * *

"Mr. Potter, if you would stay after class, I would like to speak to you," Professor McGonagall said towards the end of the double transfiguration class the next day.

The class had not been fun for Harry, despite vanishing his mouse on his first attempt, earning Gryffindor ten points. It was his first class with Hufflepuffs. He was forced to endure glares that promised pain as well as a few low powered curses and hexes when his head of house had her back turned. Luckily, Harry was exceedingly exceptional at dodging courtesy of some training Dumbledore insisted upon earlier in the summer.

"Yes Professor."

The minutes remaining until the class ended passed rapidly, much to Harry's pleasure. Soon, he was left the stern Scottish witch. "The headmaster has informed myself and Professor Flitwick of your advanced training and your yearning to learn more. As such, we have decided to provide you with books to help in your endeavors. I trust you can decipher the texts well enough; if not, feel free to ask for clarification."

"Thank you Professor," Harry said, accepting the large stack of books that his professor handed him, "If I may ask, what will I be learning?"

"I believe Professor Flitwick has provided you with two personal grimoires of his. One of which contains offensive charms, the other elemental spells. I have given you texts that will further your knowledge of transfiguration and introduce you to the concept of conjuration. Also, I thought you might like to follow in your father's footsteps. I would like for you to tell me your animagus form in the happenstance that you have one though."

"That is only five books, Professor. I have seven here."

A small smile appeared on the usually stern woman's face. "Yes, I nearly forgot those. Both are from your mischievous godfather. The first is on mind magicks, which the Black family is most famous for. The other is a grimoire that Sirius found. It is filled with spells he and your father used for pranks as well as spells that your mother created."

"My mom created spells?" Harry asked in shock.

"Yes, she had a particular affinity for the creation of spells. Her ability combined with your father's creativity made for a deadly pair." She paused for a moment before continuing, "If you wish to learn more about spell creation, I would suggest you talk to your potions professor or Professor Vector."

"Thank you Professor," Harry repeated before standing up with his large pile of books.

Ron and Hermione were not outside the classroom like he thought they would have been. Though with it being lunchtime, Harry guessed Ron's stomach got the better of the two. He did, however, round a corner some ways away from the classroom to come face to face with a familiar, blonde Hufflepuff. It took the girl only a moment to realize he was in front of her.

"Potter," she spat, her eyes narrowing. Harry noticed her wand hand twitching towards her pocket.

"You know Hannah, this is already getting old," Harry said in a bored tone, "Besides, acting like Malfoy doesn't suit you. Next time, just save us both the trouble and ignore me."

With that, he stepped around the smaller girl and walked away. He managed to get ten feet away before his shoulder erupted in pain. He spun around, wand drawn, to see the girl with her wand pointed at him. "Next time you compare me to that ponce, it'll be more than your shoulder hurt, Potter."

Harry couldn't help himself as he sneered, "I don't need to compare you to him. You seem perfectly capable of doing it yourself. Attacking me while my back is turned, how _Malfoy_ of you."

Harry noted how her blue eyes glinted dangerously. "You'll pay, Potter. For this and for Cedric." Accompanying her threat was a violent looking blue spell Harry didn't recognize. Harry spun away from the deadly spell, casting a binding spell at the blonde at the same time.

His spell made contact with girl and her clothes instantly constricted around her, binding her arms to her sides and her legs together. She fell to the ground a second later, whimpering in shock and pain. Her brilliant blue eyes no longer held a violent glint, but rather, they were filled with fear. Harry knelt slowly beside her and met her eyes with a steely glare. "Another thing that doesn't suit you is blind loyalty. It goes well with Voldemort's bootlickers, not you. Next time you decide to accuse me of something, get your facts straight first. The _opinions_ of Umbridge and the Daily Prophet are not where you will find the facts. Hufflepuffs are supposed to be just as well as loyal. You would do well to remember that." Then he was gone, hurrying down the corridor away from the girl that left him seething.

* * *

**Hoped you guys enjoyed it. Review please!**

**~Noxy**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks everyone for the reviews, I really appreciate them! So just to give a slight update on how I'm planning on doing this story: I will not post a chapter until the following chapter is done. Aka, chapter 3 is already finished and I plan to begin working on 4 tonight or tomorrow.**

**Also, I plan on having at least one Hannah interaction per chapter, but it didn't work out quite that way in this chapter, which is almost identical to how it was when I posted the story previously. After this though, it will be all new content, I promise.**

**So, here's the chapter! Enjoy!**

* * *

Harry Potter was seething. The bludgeoning curse the insolent little Hufflepuff hit him with not only cracked his shoulder blade, but also dislocated his left shoulder. That meant a night in the hospital wing. In the words of Madam Pomfrey, "Cracked bones are easily healed as long as you don't have to regrow any. Dislocations, however, can't be instantly healed with a spell; they need to be physically reset in place. Luckily, the recovery time needed is relatively short." He really wished he had gone with the cutting curse rather than the binding spell.

Ron and Hermione had visited shortly after lunch ended, after they learned he was once again under the supervision of the hospital wing matron. They had to leave soon after though as they had classes to get to. Harry was almost happy to see them leave with their pity and anger. Harry did have one surprise visitor though who came shortly after his two friends left.

"Shouldn't you be bashing me with all your friends?" Harry asked as the girl sat in a chair next to his bed.

"No, I shouldn't. My house is loyal, but we shouldn't be loyal solely to our house. My aunt and I believe you, Harry."

Harry blinked in shocked. "What about Hannah? Aren't you two supposed to be best friends?"

The redhead's jaw twitched slightly before she responded, "We've been a bit estranged this year. She thinks I'm betraying her with my choice of loyalty." The girl looked back towards the exit of the hospital wing where a boy Harry hadn't noticed before was standing. After a moment, Harry recognized the boy as Neville.

"Thank you Susan," Harry said slowly, "Tell Neville that he chose well." Susan blushed as she stood. With a quick wave, she went to join Neville, the two leaving the wing hand in hand.

Harry was smiling after his friend and his girlfriend when the hospital matron bustled to his bedside. After a few routine checks, she ordered him to sleep. Harry knew better than to argue with the nurse, so he obediently removed his glasses and closed his eyes and waited for sleep to take him.

He was woken up in the early hours of the morning by the hospital wing doors opening and closing quietly. The clock next to his bed indicated that it was shortly after four o'clock in the morning. He grabbed his wand and glasses just before the curtains around his bed were pulled back revealing two identical heads.

"Well, if it isn't our-"

"Financial sponsor."

Harry cut off the two interchangeable redheads before they could get on a roll, "Forge, Gred, why are you here? It's like four in the morning."

"We heard you had some Hufflepuff problems," one answered.

"So, we decided to help our favorite celebrity," the other finished.

Harry deadpanned, "You want to prank the 'puffs because one of them put me in the hospital?" At the simultaneous nods, Harry said in a much more upbeat tone, "Well, by all means, go ahead. Be sure to test some of your products. I'm sure they would love to help out with testing. Come to think of it, I'm pretty sure some Slytherins have agreed to help as well."

Both of the twins grew identical smirks. "Who are we to go against our biggest contributor?" The three shared a quiet laugh.

"So why did you wake me up this early in the morning to tell me this? I'd rather sleep."

One of the twins snickered while the other said, "We figured you would want in on our plans and we can't very well go around in broad daylight talking about such things! We can't have our third man being discovered. This also gives you free reign to prank them as well without getting blamed. Be smart about it though. There's a certain toad out for pranksters' blood."

"Well leave. I want to sleep more," Harry said. As they turned to leave, he said quickly, "And don't prank Susan Bones."

Both stopped and looked back with mischievous grins. "Oh, did Miss Bones snag herself a Potter?"

"No, she snagged a Longbottom. That's not the point. The point is she believes me. Now get going or I'll call Pomfrey and you'll have a reason to stay." Both twins visibly paled even in the horribly lit room. Madam Pomfrey was the one staff member that every student feared and respected. They ran from the wing as quietly as they could, leaving Harry to return to his rest.

When Harry awoke again, it was because of the feared matron's insistence. She gave a few quick waves of her wand and made him test his shoulder. Afterwards, she dismissed him, allowing him to leave after he promised to work his shoulder to strengthen it.

He got mixed emotions when he entered the Great Hall that morning. Most of the school was already seated and enjoying breakfast when he arrived. His friends and the majority of the Gryffindor table looked pleased that he was there. The rest of the school, particularly the table of yellow and the table of green were not as happy.

"How's the shoulder?" Ron asked immediately upon Harry taking a seat across from him and Hermione. Neville scooted over to sit beside him.

"Tender," was Harry's short reply. Mornings weren't necessarily his thing and with his conversation with the twins, he didn't sleep as much as he'd liked.

"Somebody's grumpy this morning," Neville muttered from beside him. Ron snorted into his glass of pumpkin juice and Hermione stifled a giggle.

"Yeah, yeah. Make fun of the crippled. I understand. You guys have your fun. I have a free period this morning, I'm going to the library," Harry muttered, standing up, "Tell your girlfriend I said hi, Nev." He walked away with only a strip of crispy bacon before his friends could protest his extremely light and short breakfast.

The library was empty aside from Madam Pince who sent a warning glance at Harry when he entered. Harry ignored the woman and found a secluded table near the entrance to the restricted section. The first book Harry opened was the book on mind magic from Sirius.

As he opened the book, he absentmindedly remembered Dumbledore's introduction to occlumency during the summer. _"Occlumency is a valuable skill, Harry," _he had said, _"It can protect you from legilimens, who will threaten to read and even control your mind. Occlumency will allow you to control your emotions better. And finally, it helps you focus, allowing you to learn at a faster rate. Most people fear a legilimens because they fear having their minds read. But it is a master occlumens that one should truly fear as they will undoubtedly be stronger than you. It is for these reasons that you will be learning occlumency first and foremost."_

After the ability had been described to Harry, Dumbledore had taught Harry meditation, the cardinal skill needed to learn occlumency. Harry had meditated every day since, excluding yesterday. Just through meditation, Harry already felt more focused and more controlled. He felt stronger too. Like the focus and control he had gained were allowing him to use more power in his spells. The binding spell he had used on Hannah was perfect proof. When he cast it over the summer on a clothed dummy, the clothing constricted enough to incapacitate the dummy. Yesterday, Harry could distinctly see every curve and crevice on the girl's body.

Focusing himself, he flipped to the section on occlumency in his book and began to read. An hour later, he stretched and rubbed his eyes. The book dictated that an amateur occlumens should find a memory or feeling and focus on it while meditating. With that feeling or memory, a person could construct a wall around his mind that would reflect the feeling or memory. Harry only guessed it would take weeks for such a wall to be constructed.

Harry didn't necessarily want for it to take weeks though. Occlumency was the starter skill; he needed and wanted to move on to bigger and better things. Voldemort wasn't going to stop just for him to learn occlumency.

He sighed and stretched his arms out, wincing at the stiffness and pain in his shoulder. It was then that he noticed Susan Bones had taken a seat across from him at the table. "Does your shoulder still hurt?" When he nodded, she continued, "You should get someone to massage it or something."

Harry cocked an eyebrow at the redhead. "Are you offering? Cause I'm not exactly friends with many girls around the school and it would be just plain weird coming from Hermione or a bloke."

"Get yourself a girlfriend then. She'll massage it. I'm already taken."

"Girlfriend. Ha. Very funny Susan. Tell me when you find a girl who wants to be my girlfriend." The redhead opened her mouth, but before she could saying anything, Harry rectified his statement, "Wants to be Harry's girlfriend, not the Boy-Who-Lived's girlfriend."

"Yeah, let me get back to you on that then."

"Thought so," Harry said, smiling genuinely at the girl.

Silence ensued for a few moments before Susan asked, "What're you reading? Those books look thick."

"I'm learning occlumency. Best book for it."

"Why would you want to do that? Most people can't even get a grasp on occlumency. How do you even know about it? None of our classes mention it."

"I was curious. And if I learn it now with Voldemort around, I'll have it later too," Harry said. His voice adopted a more cautious tone as the girl was getting close to asking about things he didn't want to answer.

She must have recognized the caution on his part as she let the issue go, teasing him instead, "You were curious? I suppose that this is light reading then? Hermione really has rubbed off on you." The two shared a laugh at the comment. Harry's stomach chose that time to growl hungrily.

He looked accusingly at the offending part of his body before standing up with is books. "I need to go to the kitchens to eat. I might have neglected eating this morning for reading."

"I'll go with you. Better than going back to my common room until lunch. And Neville's in Care of Magical Creatures." Harry nodded and the two made their way towards the kitchens. "Speaking of Care, why aren't you there? Didn't you take that elective?"

"Err," he began, not really knowing how to answer the question. After a moment, he decided to tell the truth. "I dropped it and Divination. Dumbledore gave me permission provided I use my new free periods to actually study."

Susan was silent for a moment before she snorted out a laugh, "Dumbles sure does trust you a lot. He wouldn't even think about doing that for any other student except for maybe Hermione. Only, he would make her use the time to relax instead of study." They shared another laugh and finished their journey in amicable silence.

After tickling the pear in the painting, they entered the kitchen filled with house elves and Dobby. "Mister Harry Potter sir! Dobby is happy to see you! What can Dobby do for Mister Harry Potter?"

"Err, how about just some sandwiches for me and Susan," Harry said embarrassedly as his companion laughed at his expense.

The elf disappeared only to reappear moments later with a plate laden with an assortment of sandwiches. After a few animated gratuities, the elf once more disappeared. "It seems that I just met the leader of your fan club, Mr. Potter," the redhead giggled. Harry shushed her as they sat down at one of the tables and began to eat.

"So, tell me how you and Neville got together. I know we don't talk too much, but I never noticed him hanging out with you either."

"We were actually talking a lot last year. After the Yule Ball, he asked me to Hogsmeade as friends just to get to know me better. Things went from there. When we got off the train for summer, he asked me to be his girlfriend," Susan paused for a moment before continuing, "He was the one who convinced me that you weren't lying. Well, he convinced me that you really didn't put your name in the goblet last year. Then when Cedric died, I refused to believe that you would kill him. Why would you tell him about the dragons only to turn around and kill him?"

Harry smirked, "So basically I have Nev to thank for my one Hufflepuff friend?" The redhead beamed and nodded. "So I'm guessing your 'estrangement' with Hannah started about the same time as you and Neville became friends?"

"Yeah. Sometimes Hannah reminds me of Ron, no offense to him. But they both tend to speak before they think sometimes. Only Hannah is much more persuasive about her moments of thoughtlessness. She's managed to turn just about all of Hufflepuff against you, not that they needed too much prodding."

"You miss her."

"Yes," Susan admitted after a moment of silence, "We've known each other forever. And she thinks that because we have different opinions means that we can't be friends. It got to the point right at the end of summer where she demanded I choose her and our house or Neville and you."

"I'm sorry. And I'm sure Neville is too. I know he wouldn't want to be the reason why your best friend left you."

"No, it's fine. You were right when you told Hannah yesterday about Hufflepuff not just being loyal. We are supposed to be just too."

"You knew about that?" Harry asked, eyebrow quirked in curiosity.

His companion grinned, "You should have seen her last night. I thought she was going to turn into a veela with how mad she got. She looked ready to start throwing fireballs and sprouting wings. She kept ranting and raving about how you molested her by using a perverted spell to tighten all of her clothes. Of course, she was also bragging about how she sent 'the almighty Boy-Who-Lived' to the hospital wing."

"Yeah, I should've been paying a bit more attention there. I guess comparing her to Malfoy wasn't exactly good parting words. And the spell I used was a mummification spell. It constricts clothing to the point where a person can't move or breathe if applied long enough. I could have made it much worse with just a little bit of power or another flick of my wand."

"Harry, you taught her a lesson. That's what she needed. Of course, the lesson might not have sunk in, but still."

"Well just call me the most unwilling teacher ever. I hope she at least lays off a little. The rest of the school isn't violent about it. Yeah they hate me, but they don't put me in the hospital wing despite how often Malfoy has tried," Harry said before standing slowly, "Thanks for eating with me Susan. I've got to get to potions though, don't want to give Snape an excuse to give me a detention this early in the year." Susan nodded and the two left the kitchen before going their separate ways.

* * *

**Sorry it's kinda short. I couldn't seem to add any more to the chapter when I went back to try. The next chapter is longer, I promise.**

**Hope you enjoyed! Review please!**

**~Noxy**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys, sorry about the couple week delay. I went on vacation shortly after I posted the last chapter and didn't have my computer with me. I've spent the last week and a half trying to catch up on work. Good news, I caught up. Bad news, of the seven guys who work with me, I am one of three remaining.**

**That being said, I still do not have the next chapter ready because I'm still swamped at work. But, it's been a long enough wait that I'll post this chapter anyways. Hopefully things at work will settle down and I can get chapter 4 finished up for you guys.**

**For now, enjoy chapter 3.**

* * *

"Detention Potter! Saturday, immediately after dinner." Avoiding detention was apparently not what fate had planned for him as he received the punishment almost the same instant he entered the potions classroom deep in the Hogwarts' dungeons.

"But sir, what did I do?" Despite knowing that he was going to get the detention, keeping up appearances couldn't hurt Harry decided.

Snape's upper lip curled in his patented sneer and the class began to fill with Slytherins and Gryffindors alike. "Disturbing my peace by breathing too loudly. Now I would suggest you sit down and learn to breathe silently or not at all."

An unhidden snicker from behind him alerted Harry to the presence of Malfoy. Deciding it would be best to ignore his rival, Harry moved to pair up with Neville as Hermione and Ron had already paired up around one of the black cauldrons.

"This year," Snape began from the front of the room after everyone was seated, "will be the last time I have to put up with some of you dunderheads-" he pointed looked at Harry and Neville "—as the O.W.L.'s will undoubtedly show your evident inaptitude for the art of potion brewing. After this year, I shall only accept those who have obtained an Outstanding into my N.E.W.T. level class. Instructions are on the board. You have two hours."

The class bustled into motion only moments after Snape's speech. They were brewing a Draught of Peace, not a particularly complicated potion, but if brewed incorrectly, could be deadly. Harry and Neville made sure to follow each instruction as closely as they could throughout the class.

At the end of the two hours, Harry and Neville turned in an acceptable – outstanding in their opinion – Draught of Peace. Despite their hard work and diligence, their potion was a slightly duller grey than the shimmering silver potion that Hermione or Daphne Greengrass had brewed. As they were cleaning though, an arrogant voice called out, "Professor! Potter's breathing distracted me from bottling my potion properly!" Harry's eyes immediately narrowed in on the boy with platinum blonde hair who was standing on the opposite side of the room.

"Potter! What did I tell you about your incessant breathing?! You can cancel any plans you had for the rest of your Saturdays this term. You shall be spending them with me, scrubbing every square inch of this dungeon by hand. Get out of my sight before I have you expelled!"

Harry and Neville both turned tail and fled the dungeons, Harry only barely hiding his grin at how easy it was to get his detentions with Snape scheduled. And to think that he didn't even lose any house points. 

* * *

The rest of the week passed relatively quickly for Harry. Herbology with the Ravenclaws was boring, as it usually was. Harry absentmindedly attributed his dislike of the subject to being forced to maintain Petunia's garden as a child. History of Magic with the spectral professor was only worse. After the ghost didn't take attendance, Harry decided that he would be skipping the class for the remainder of the year. There was no doubt in his mind that the class only wasted precious time that could be spent training. Besides, surely studying for it outside of class was enough to pass the class at the end of the year.

Charms was probably the worst class of the week, behind only Defense Against the Dark Arts with Umbridge. Normally, the diminutive Charms professor made for fun lessons. The first class of the year however, was spent reviewing first and second year spells while dodging jinxes from Hufflepuffs. Being bored out of his mind and being constantly bombarded with stinging hexes made the class miserable.

His nightly meditations began to include focusing on memories in order to build his mental defenses. The memory he had chosen was of the endless darkness from being locked in the cupboard as a kid. The relentless pitch black nothingness from his childhood seemed like an appropriate memory to form a mental defense. He also began meditating in the morning as well before starting his day, finding the time spent centering himself helpful to get through the day despite the almost palpable hatred directed at him.

Saturday was spent in the library studying Ancient Runes. While he didn't actually attend the class because of his stupid decision in third year to take the easy route with Ron, Harry had been convinced by Dumbledore and Sirius over the summer to begin a self-study of the subject. After a week of studying it over the summer, Harry talked to Dumbledore about dropping both Care of magical Creatures and Divination in order to allow Harry more time to study ruins and to train. He argued that two pointless electives were wasting valuable time that he could spend training. Thus, the Headmaster graciously allowed Harry two free periods for training and studying provided he actually did just that and not laze around.

"_If I hear of you taking advantage of this privilege, Mr. Potter-" Professor Dumbledore said sternly, "—you will immediately be back in both Care of Magical Creatures, and Divination. You will be serving detentions with Mr. Filch on top of that."_

Harry shuddered at the memory. The Headmaster, despite his age and kindness, could be downright intimidating.

Harry's stomach growling signified the approaching dinner hour and his first 'detention' with Professor Snape. With his anxiety for the meeting rising, Harry packed up his books and headed towards the Great Hall where he found a seat besides Neville and across from Ron and Hermione. Dinner was not a quiet affair for the group, mostly because of Ron and Hermione flirting – Harry coughed – Hermione berating Ron for slacking off on his schoolwork so early in the year. Harry mentally snorted at that. Hermione would lecture Ron for slacking off of schoolwork after graduating from Hogwarts.

"—only been here a week! We have no homework!" Ron argued back, Harry only catching the latter part of his statement.

"Then you haven't been paying enough attention in class," Hermione harrumphed. "I've already finished three essays that were assigned to us this week, and that's not including the assignments that I've gotten from Runes and Arithmancy."

Ron narrowed his eyes before countering back, "When are the essays due? Because if it's any time after next week, then I don't care."

If Hermione was going to respond, she never did as someone behind Harry caught her eye and she forgot about the argument with Ron. Harry noticed her face morph to a look of defensive caution. Ron's face was contorted in annoyance and anger.

Running a mental checklist, Harry thought about all the possible people to cause those reactions out of his two best friends. Professor Snape, Malfoy, or any Slytherin would get Ron's reaction. But Hermione wouldn't care about any Slytherin and she respected authority too much to be scared of Snape. Besides, the greasy-haired professor was at the table with the rest of the adults, though Harry did notice Dumbledore, Umbridge, and Sprout looking on interestedly at his group of friends. "So it's a 'Puff," he muttered under his breath as he glanced over his shoulder to see the newcomers.

Behind him stood Hannah Abbott, Zacharias Smith, and Megan Jones. Already uninterested in the exchange that was about to take place, Harry turned back towards his friends. "What? Is Harry Potter _too good_ for us lowly Hufflepuffs?" Hannah's scathing tone rang out from behind him.

Without facing her, Harry said, "I remember asking you to ignore me last time we spoke."

"If I recall correctly, you spent the following night in the hospital wing because I broke your shoulder. I don't think you're in any position to talk after that result."

Ron looked like he was about to speak up in Harry's defense, but Harry cut him off with a quick glare before he turned to finally acknowledge the trio behind him. "Mister Smith, Miss Jones, what is your knowledge of the conversation Miss Abbott and I had a few days ago?" he asked, doing his best Dumbledore impression.

There was silence for a moment before Smith spoke up, "Hannah told us how you used a perverted binding spell on her and she sent to the hospital with a broken shoulder."

"Ahh, so she neglected to tell you how she cast the first spell while my back was turned, I might add, which broke my shoulder. Did she also forget to mention that my 'perverted binding spell' was a simple mummification charm used in self-defense? Or how I told her that the Hufflepuff house was based off the quality of justice as well as loyalty?"

Megan Jones fidgeted uneasily at the questions while Hannah simply seethed. But no response came from any of the three, so Harry continued, "That's what I thought. Mister Smith, Miss Jones, I shall tell you the same thing I told Miss Abbott. Blind loyalty doesn't suit the house of the badger. Please obtain all of the facts before making a decision based on the opinions of a few."

"So avenging Cedric isn't considered just?" Harry raised an eyebrow at Hannah who finally interrupted his spiel. "Here you sit preaching about another house's values, yet you deny them their very right to those values. I guess the Sorting Hat was wrong to put you in Gryffindor. You aren't courageous. You would accept the blame for your actions if you were. No. You, _Potter_, are a filthy, cowardly snake." With that, Hannah turned and stalked back towards her table with a wide eye Megan Jones and a smirking Zacharias Smith behind her.

It took all of Harry's willpower not to hex her; instead, he just turned back towards his friends. Ron was red-faced with fury, Hermione was doing her best 'fish-out-of water' impression, and Neville seemed sad almost. It was Ron who spoke up first, but Harry ignored his anger-induced rant. It seemed that Susan wasn't lying when she said Hannah was a bit more persuasive. Harry had been winning that battle of words, much like he did the last time when that came out of nowhere.

Glancing at his food, Harry found his appetite gone. Unable to eat and not wanting to have to listen to his friend's rant, Harry pushed himself away from the table and stood. "Harry, where are you going? You need to eat something." Of course Hermione would care about him eating after the scene she just witnessed.

"I'll stop by the kitchens later," Harry assured, "I have to get to detention. Snape will kill me if I'm late." With that, he made his way out of the Great Hall and towards the dungeons, much less excited about this detention than earlier.

Snape was waiting when he arrived. Wordlessly, he locked the door to the Potions' lab and motioned for Harry to enter his office. Once they were both seated, Professor Snape began, "I have been asked by the Headmaster to act as a liaison between the two of you. That means that I will be relaying any instructions, lessons, books, or any other item he has for you. With this request, he also asked that I train you in certain areas of magic that would be frowned upon in most circles."

The man paused, whether for effect or some other reason, Harry did not know, but he nodded his assent anyways.

Snape seemed appeased by Harry's understanding and continued, "I have agreed to these request under the condition that you understand just what it is you are learning and who it is from. So tonight, I shall not be teaching you to brew deadly poisons or any magnificent spells. Tonight, we shall be having a small history lesson. If you decide to stay after that, we will discuss where we will go from here."

Harry nodded once more. "Good. Now before I tell you of my past, I wish to clarify one thing from yours. Your relatives, Petunia, were they – was she – abusive?"

Harry felt some of the blood leave his face as he looked down at the stone floor. Out of everything that he expected from this meeting, this topic didn't make the list. "Abusive is a relative term, sir. I was never physically beaten if that's what you're asking. Dudley and his friends beat me up a few times, but my aunt and uncle never did. That's not to say that I wasn't neglected, starved, and verbally abused."

Snape nodded slowly at the answer, "I suspected that was the case. For what it's worth, I'm sorry for what you grew up with. I had a similar, if not worse childhood. My father, a muggle, was abusive to me and my mother. He was a drunk and often took out his frustrations on myself and my mother. As such, my childhood was bleak, to say the least.

"That is, until I met your mother, Lily Evans at the time. She was the bright spot in my childhood. I was the one who discovered that she was a witch and told her of the magical world. Before Hogwarts, and even throughout most of our school years, we were best friends. But, I was a Slytherin and she a Gryffindor. And try as she might to prevent it, I still came to rest under the wing of Lucius Malfoy and others who would make up the Dark Lord's Inner Circle.

"My fifth year, I learned my mother died. I received the note from Dumbledore. My father had beaten her to death in a drunken rage. I left his office only to run into the Marauders, led by your father. As you well know, we did not see eye to eye, so the following altercation was less than peaceful. When Lily tried to intervene, I broke. I gave in to the grief of losing my mother, of being bullied, of being pressured to turn dark. Mudblood. I called her that. That horrid name. She slapped me and never spoke to me again."

Snape took a couple minutes to calm himself, leaving the room in silence. Finally, he began again, "My life began to revolve around the dark arts. I joined the Dark Lord, I took his mark, and rose quickly in his ranks. Until one night I heard the first part of the prophecy that Dumbledore told you this summer. Being the _faithful_ Death Eater, I told my master. It wasn't until I learned who the Dark Lord was targeting did I realize my mistake. I begged him to spare your mother, but was scoffed at. So I turned to Dumbledore. Dumbledore did as much as he could, but the Dark Lord still found them, found Lily.

"I will not lie to you Harry. It is because of me that your parents are dead. Pettigrew might have betrayed them. The Dark Lord might have killed them. But it all began with me. It is the one thing that spurs my hatred for the Dark Lord. It is the only thing in life that I will never be forgiven for. It is the reason why I spent your first four years hating you: because you were a tangible reminder of my lost love and my part in her death. It is why now, that the Dark Lord is back, I will strive to teach you everything I can to avenge her and make up for my mistakes."

Harry remained silent even after Snape finished his tale. His insides were swirling chaotically. Snape was the reason he was an orphan. So much hatred for the man in front of him flooded Harry's being at the thought. But at the same time some – was that respect? – entered as well. Snape was, like Dumbledore, trying to amend his mistakes. "Do I need to have you teaching me?" he finally asked the professor who seemed to have aged a decade since the detention began.

More silence.

"Not necessarily. Minerva and Filius would undoubtedly teach you many things that will help you with your task, things that I cannot teach you. But, I can teach you things that they cannot. Spells that they haven't even heard of. Spells that would make Bellatrix Lestrange cringed. Spells that will help you fight the Dark Lord. If you wish to defeat the Dark Lord, then no, you do not need me. If you wish to live to see the day after your victory, then yes, you do."

Harry seethed. He had already dealt with the fact that his early death would be inevitable. The horcrux in his head made it impossible for him to win without dying. Why the hell would Snape go and talk about living now, after he admitted to being the reason for his parents' death? "In case you haven't heard, _sir_, Voldemort-"

"Do not speak his name!"

"_Why_? Fear of the name only gives him more power!"

An aura flared around Snape and as he stood, a slight gust of wind picked up. Vials on the shelves around the room rattled as Snape spoke, "Did you see me cringe _boy_?! The Dark Lord is the worst dark lord Britain has seen since Morgana Le Fay. And he is one of the most powerful wizards alive today. That caliber of power demands a modicum of respect, whether his actions deserve it or not. Whenever you are in my presence be sure you remember that!"

Harry immediately backed down, properly chastised. He waited a minute for them both to calm down before he continued, "As I was saying, sir, Lord Voldemort's horcrux in my head," he tapped his scar once, "ensures that I have to die. So there's not much hope for me anyways."

"The Headmaster and I are looking for ways to remove the shard. We are hopeful that we will find something less permanent than death. We have already found some answers that might help exorcise the stain while leaving you unchanged. Now unless you intend to receive extra tuition from me, please leave."

Harry remained seated for a moment, using breathing techniques from meditation to calm himself. "I may never forgive you for what you've done to me, but I will look past that and do my best to learn from you, sir."

Snape nodded. "Understandable. What we discuss in this room shall never leave this room. This goes for each meeting." Harry nodded quickly, and Snape continued, "First and foremost, we will be building up your occlumency shields. They are the biggest priority. After that, I will begin to teach you some darker spells as well as Death Eater tactics. Afterwards, we may get into legilimency, but I make no promises. Any questions?"

"Professor McGonagall told me to ask you about creating spells. Can we talk about that at all?"

A small smirk adorned Snape's face. "If I were you, I would pick up an arithmancy textbook and begin reading. Every spells begins there. Runes won't hurt either. Next week, I will give you a guide to creation. I will answer any questions you have after that. Now, it is my understanding that your Godfather gifted you with a book on Mind Magic, is this correct?"

"Yes sir. I've been studying it and meditating every night and most mornings as well. I have chosen a memory with which to use for a basis of my shield."

"Good. I want you to begin to think about that memory as much as you can during the day. I want it to become second nature for you to have that memory in your mind. Through meditation, your mind will begin to connect that memory with your shields, so the more you have the memory in the back of your head, the better your passive shields will become."

"Yes sir. Anything else?"

"Yes. The Headmaster has been subjected to countless complaints on the inadequate instruction level of the Defense class this year. He would like you to create a club to help amend this problem without the Ministry knowing. Please begin searching for a place that would be suitable for your needs. Inform me once you have located it. You are dismissed." 

* * *

**Hope you guys enjoyed it, despite the wait (thanks again for the patience). Also, a sneak peek for next chapter, you will get a little bit of Hannah's POV. I feel like it's really helped me develop her character into something more believable, and even relatable if she's not already. So stay tuned!**

**Reviews are welcomed, by the way.**

**~Noxy**


End file.
